Day 75: Fields Spring State Park

I awoke, looked out the window, and there were about six ruffed grouse pecking along the ground in our site.  Nice start to the day.   Ranger and I also saw quite a few turkeys on our morning walk.

After a slow start to the day, breakfast and reading, we headed out about 11:00 on the trails.  Much of our walk was on cross-country ski trails which are wide and easy to follow.  As our goal was the top of Puffer Butte, it was uphill for about an hour, with some confusion as to where we were, as the paths criss-crossed all over the area.  We did eventually reach the ski hut at the top, where we had a great view of the folded mountains in the distance with larger peaks in the distance. 

The hike down was, of course, easier, though the 2 ½ hours of walking left us ready for some relaxation.  So after a late lunch, we rested and read for much of the afternoon.  The weather was partly cloudy, with a few threatening clouds passing overhead from time to time but no actual rain, and the temperatures were around 70.

In late afternoon, we noticed that our neighbors had started a campfire, and yes, the campfire ban had been lifted.  We visited with the group of guys who were here for a weekend of fishing (young man, his father and his two uncles) around their campfire, and later the couple in the trailer across the way also came over.  So it was a festive evening around the fire.  Joe fried fish that they had caught just a few hours before, and they were delicious.

Day 74: Memaloose State Park (Mosier OR) to Fields Spring State Park (Anatone WA)

It was a day of long hot miles and wide dry expanses.

We left Memaloose fairly early, knowing that we had about 300 miles to cover.  The route continued along I-84 and followed the Columbia River.  A stop in the town of The Dalles allowed us to restock groceries and fill with diesel and we continued on our way.

There was a striking contrast between the blue of the river and the brown of the hills on either side of it.  The hills were dry and rounded with some dark rock outcroppings. There were several large dams along the way, and there were large barges transporting loads along the Columbia.  Wind farms were frequent along the ridges.   After almost 100 miles, the road left the river and we drove through typical western landscape, flat and dry, taking I-395 northwest and connecting with Route 730.

Route 730 again ran along the Columbia River, and here the contrast with blue and brown was even more pronounced.  The road ran high above the river, and in one place we passed a marina with sailboats and saw people windsurfing----both seemed strange in this desolate landscape.  Eventually the hills became lower again, and we were back to flat, dry land.

Where the Walla Walla River entered the Columbia, we turned onto Route 12 heading east.  This was agricultural land, with rolling hills and small farming towns.  We weren’t sure what crop had already been harvested here, perhaps wheat, but the fields had been cut and there were many boxy straw bales piled along the way.  There were no rest areas and really no place to pull off for lunch, so we refueled both RV and us at Walla Walla, a rare lunch at  McDonalds.

Where Route 127 went off to the north, the hills began to increase in size, and the road began to be windy again.  We climbed to Alpowa summit (2785 feet) and the long, long drive down hill from there ended with, once again, the surprising blue of a wide river, this time the Snake River.  At the town of Clarkston, on the Idaho border, we turned off on state route 129 for the last 27 miles.

That road started out fine, but after about five miles, it turned into the hills and climbed…and climbed…and climbed, switchback after switchback.  When it seemed we could go no higher, the road straightened and flattened, and we were, I assume, at the top of a butte.  Shortly before we expected to see the park, we noticed that there was the dark green of trees up ahead, and yes, Fields Spring State Park is shady and green.  When we stepped out of the RV at our site, the air was cool. 

This is not a park you would just happen upon----it’s way off the beaten track.  The campground host said that it would not be full for the holiday weekend (amazing), even though there are only twenty sites.  Indeed, by nightfall, there were only about six sites occupied (others had reserved signs on them, so a few more may arrive still).  The host explained that this park gets its greatest use in the winter months when it’s very popular for cross-country skiers.   At this time of year, of course, the ski trails are hiking trails, so we will get out and about a little tomorrow.

Meanwhile, while Dan was chatting with some neighbors about fishing, Ranger went crazy barking and pointing toward the woods behind the RV.  There was a group of ruffed grouse moving through the underbrush.  We also saw a flock of wild turkeys, and the campground host said we would also see chukars.  So the bird-watching here will be somewhat better than in some other places we have been on this trip.

No electricity, no water hook-ups here, but what a contrast to our campsite at Memaloose.  After dark, the only light to be seen was at the bathhouse----no car and truck headlights shining into the RV window.  And total silence! 

Day 72: Memaloose State Park

It was a quiet day of relaxation, rest, and catching up on odds-and-ends.  The day started out cool enough for a long walk with Ranger, and while it got up into the upper 80’s, it was not nearly as oppressive as the day before.  I organized and labelled photos from the trip, washed hair and washed dog, and read in the shade.  We looked over the route for the coming days.

Considering that there are really no activities available here, the park has been surprisingly busy, especially with tenters.  I guess with this being so close to the holiday, people are squeezing in a little more vacation.  The park does, understandably, seem to attract an older crowd, with far fewer kids running and biking around.

That’s about it.  Tomorrow will be a long day of driving. We’ll be spending Labor Day weekend in the southeast corner of Washington state, close to the Idaho border, and I’m guessing we will not have either cell service or internet, so it may not be until next week that I can post any more news of the trip.  

Day 71: Milo McIver to Memaloose State Park

The day was hot, hot, hot!

The drive began as one of those where we just trusted the GPS to get us where we wanted to go.  I knew we needed to end up on Interstate 84, heading east, but the route it gave took us through back roads, past Christmas tree farms, blueberry patches, and what appeared to be bedroom communities for Portland.  We did eventually get to I-84 and drove through some beautiful areas of the Columbia River Gorge.  The river was wide and blue, with mountains on either side, lots of greenery, and some weird rock formations.

As we traveled east, the land leveled out a bit, still hilly but not as rough, and it began to look drier and more like “The West”.  We arrived at our reserved site at Memaloose State Park in early afternoon, and getting out of the RV, the heat hit us.

Memaloose is a strange little park, located on the Columbia River between Hood River and The Dalles.  We ended up here for two nights largely because sites at other state parks were impossible to find, and it looked nice, right on the river.  Well, it’s not really on the river; there is no river access due to a railroad track that runs between park land and the water.  To reach the park, we had to pass it, go to the next exit, backtrack on I-84 west, get off at the rest area, and the park road began at one end of the rest area.  The entry took us downhill toward the river, into a grove of trees which provided some shade (thank Goodness!).

Memaloose’s claim to fame is its location along the Oregon Trail.  The name refers to the island in the river, just offshore, where Native Americans buried their chiefs.  So the story goes.

The park is wedged between the highway and the railroad track, so depending on where one’s campsite is, you hear either highway noise or train noise.  Our site happens to be one along the highway which is very close by but above us, due to the slope of the land.  So, yes, we do hear trucks and cars pretty much constantly.  There are no hiking trails, but it’s too hot to hike. There’s no swimming or boating or fishing.  I guess it’s a place to simply relax.

And it’s hot.  Did I already mention that?  The campground host said that the previous day, the temperature had gotten to 102.  High today:  96.  Hot.  Dry.  However, there was a good breeze, so we stretched out in our recliners in the shade, drank many cold drinks, and read. 

When it was still 86 degrees in the RV after dark, we gave in and started up the air-conditioning.  AHHH!  Lovely!  Sure glad we are not in a tent!

Day 70: Milo McIver State Park

Having two nights reserved at this park, we had a full day to explore.  We set out hiking at about 11 am, heading for the other side of the park.  The park is in two sections: ours has the campground, fish hatchery, lake, and trails, while the other side (Riverbend) has picnic grounds and a disc golf course. 

The two sides are divided by a large hill, so the first part of our hike, about 1 ¼ miles, was uphill.  At the top, there is a large dog area and a memorial to Milo McIver.  From there it’s all downhill (mostly on hiking trails on the way out) to the other section, until one is on a path that runs along the Clackamas River  at the bottom of the hill.  At the top, one gets a good view of both the river and of Mount Hood, the highest peak in Oregon.

The day was very hot, so by the time we had gotten to the boat launch at the far end of the park, Ranger was happy to get into the river.  The trek back up the hill was agonizing, but fortunately the last part was all downhill.  We were more than ready for a cold bottle of water when we arrived back at the RV after around six or seven miles of hiking. 

All three of us collapsed for the rest of the afternoon, two of us enjoying showers to get some of the sweat off.  It’s now around 7:30 and the temperature has dropped to 80, so at least it should cool off enough to sleep well tonight.  

Day 69: Montesano WA to Estacada OR

Today's drive was a relatively short one, only about 150 miles, so we slept in a bit, took the dog for a walk, and then left Lake Sylvia State Park, traveling east on Route 12 to connect with I-5.

About 90 miles south on the interstate and we were in the Portland OR area.  We are now at a state park southeast of the city, Milo McIver State Park.

We arrived early enough in the afternoon to allow some exploring before dinner.  This is a fairly large park along the Clackamas River.  It is full of hiking and equestrian paths, and we followed one to the boat launch at Estacada Lake, formed by a large dam.  People were fishing, swimming, and kayaking on what seemed to us (after the past months) a very hot afternoon.

Below the dam, we followed paths along the river to the Clackamas Fish Hatchery, where we saw a pool of thousands of little salmon and tanks of larger ones.  A trail looped back to the campground from there.

The campsite is quite nice, and the campground is FULL of families---lots of kids on bikes and scooters.  As mentioned, it was a very hot afternoon, so I'm back to shorts and t-shirt.  

A fairly low-key day, but  pleasant.  We are here for two nights, so we'll have time to walk the trails more tomorrow.  

Day 68: Port Angeles to Montesano, WA

It’s hard to imagine a better day than today.

We left our campsite at Salt Creek early and traveled along Highway 101 in a counterclockwise direction.  Rte 101 goes around the perimeter of Olympic National Park, with side roads leading into the park, but none connecting in the middle.  We rode along Crescent Lake---huge lake, with a windy, narrow road following its shore, and then on to Forks, WA, setting for the Twilight books. 

Then we took the 18-mile long park road into the visitors’ center at Hoh Rain Forest.  What a fabulous place!  It is, indeed, a rain forest, with extremely tall trees, thigh-high ferns, and lots of lush undergrowth.  There were all sorts of epiphytes (like Spanish moss in Florida) on the trees, adding to the green.  The trees were very thick, creating a dark area underneath, with shafts of sunlight occasionally peeking through.  We took two short hikes, totally about two miles, and then rescued Ranger from the RV. (Dogs are not permitted on hiking trails in national parks.)  We had a nice lunch in the picnic area and then proceeded on our way.

Hoh Rain Forest definitely makes my “Top Three” for places we have visited on this trip!

Continuing on Hwy 101, we rode alongside the Pacific Ocean for about ten miles or so, gray and foggy on this particular day, but still lots of people  (and dogs) walking along the beach.  We went through Aberdeen, where we picked up US Route 112 for about ten miles, ending up in Montesano, WA.

We are staying at a small state park, Lake Sylvia.  The campground is small and for the most part full, with lots of families in tents.  There’s lots of activity around us: kayaking, fishing, swimming, and just playing.  It’s a pleasant place to stay for one night, as we head south toward Oregon.